To vaporize liquids, such as e-liquids (nicotine-containing, sometimes-flavored liquids used in e-cigarettes as replacements for cigarettes) and liquids containing herbal extracts, for inhalation by a user, the liquid must be raised to a suitable temperature while the user draws air past the heated liquid. The current prevalent technology consists of a reservoir of liquid from which a wick, typically made from glass fiber or stainless steel mesh, wicks the liquid into a heating coil, typically made from the FeCrAl alloy Kanthal, which is heated by passing a current through the coil.
The current approach suffers from several disadvantages. First, the temperature of the heater coil is necessarily higher than the temperature ideally required to vaporize liquid in the wick. This temperature difference can result in unwanted chemical reactions taking place at this hotter surface of the heater coil when sufficient heat is available to achieve the desired vaporization of liquid in the bulk of the wick. The unwanted chemical reactions can detrimentally effect both the quality of the experience by influencing the flavor and the health impact by increasing the presence of toxic chemicals. Second, the proximity of the coil to the liquid means any electrical conductivity of the liquid effects the functioning of the vaporizer. Third, the practical design of the reservoir and wick often results in leaks. Thus, there is a need for an improved vaporizer device.